Species: Dermatolepis inermis, Marbled grouper
forehead oblique
dark + pale mottling/spots
Dermatolepis inermis (Valenciennes, 1833)
Marbled grouper
Body relatively deep (deepest at origin of dorsal fin), and compressed; snout much longer than eye; forehead profile steep, rising obliquely to high back; rear nostrils 2-3 times larger than front nostrils; rear of top jaw exposed when mouth closed; teeth depressible; preopercle finely serrated; gill rakers 21-24; dorsal rays XI, 18-20, 3rd or 4th spine longest, membranes only slightly notched between spines; anal rays III, 8-10, rear margin concave in adults; pectoral rounded, distinctly longer than pelvics, 18-19 rays; tail fin with straight edge in adult, rounded in juvenile; scales smooth.
Adult: yellowish brown with many small dark brown spots on head, body and fins, pale mottling on head and body. Juvenile: dark brown to black, with irregular scattered white mottling on head and body.
Size: grows to 91 cm.
Inhabits reefs.
Depth: 3-315 m, usually in ledges and caves around 200 m.
North Carolina to southern Brazil.
High Resolution Map Download
- Salinity
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- Marine Only
- Marine
- Inshore/Offshore
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- Inshore Only
- Inshore
- Water Column Position
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- Bottom
- Habitat
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- Reef associated (reef + edges-water column & soft bottom)
- Reef only
- Corals
- Reef (rock/coral/oyster)
- FishBase Habitat
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- Reef Associated
- Feeding Group
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- Carnivore
- Data
- Diet
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- Data
- Mobile benthic crustacea (shrimps/crabs)
- Bony fishes
- Egg Type
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- Data
- Pelagic
- Pelagic larva
- Global Endemism
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- West Atlantic Endemic
- All species
- Greater Caribbean non-endemic
- Regional Endemism
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- Extends N + S of GC
- GC non-endemic
- All species
- Also in Brazil
- Continent
- Extends North of GC
- Continent + Island (s)
- Extends South of GC
- Island (s)
- Residency
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- Resident
- Climate Zone
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- Equatorial (0-10N, Costa Rica / Venezuela)
- Tropical (10-23N, Nicaragua / Cuba)
- Subtropical (23-35N, Florida / Carolinas / Bermuda)
- IUCN Red List
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- Data deficient
- Listed
- CITES
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- Not listed
- Length Max
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- 91
- Depth Range Min
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- 3
- Depth Range Max
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- 315
